Garmin
GPS Receiver
Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver (Model 010-00190-00)

On this page I describe the Garmin eTrex ® Global Positioning System Receiver.
I bought one of these in April 2002 just before I left Florida for my trip to northern Illinois and then to Texas.

I decided that I needed one in case I got lost driving the backroads of Texas where there might not be intelligible road signs. By knowing latitude and longitude, I could find my location on a map.

There are five buttons. The two on the right are "Power" and "Page". "Page" walks it through the four primary displays.

On the left are three buttons which function like a one-dimensional mouse -- Up, Down, and Click. You move up-and-down through displayed options and click on the one you want.

The unit measures about 4.5" x 2" x 1". (Similar in size to a TV remote control.) Runs on 2 AA batteries. Cigarette lighter adapter is available.

It reads signals from satellites to tell you your location, typically accurate to within twenty feet.
I have been using my GPS receiver when I go bicycling in an unfamiliar area.

When I park my car, I turn-on the receiver. It takes about a minute for it to determine its location; during that time, I pull my bicycle out of the car. I then note the latitude and longitude for my records. Then I use the "mark waypoint" function. This stores the latitude and longitude of my parked car.

Now at any point during my bicycling, I can turn on the GPS receiver and use the "go to waypoint" function. The unit then displays the direction and distance to the marked waypoint (my car).

This is wonderful to have to reduce your fear of getting lost, even if you do not need it.

The bargain model, which I bought, only functions as a compass if you are moving. This is awkward when bicycling so I carry a real compass to correctly orient the unit.

There are other more advanced functions, which I have not tried yet. Such as guiding you while you are moving or drawing simple maps showing the relative location of stored waypoints. These might be more valuable for boaters than for bicyclists or hikers.

Two complaints that I have are (1) The unit has so many functions that it takes a while to figure-out how to use it. (2) It would be nice if compass directions were displayed correctly even when the unit is stationary.

The model for sale at Amazon is the same model that I bought. This is the least expensive GPS receiver which I have found.

Amazon.com prohibits me from telling you the price, because it is subject to change. So you have to click over to Amazon to check.
Click Here to jump over to Amazon.com to buy one.
Another use is to communicate an exact location to someone.

After I posted the photo of the Burmese Python which I found in the Florida Everglades, both the head biologist of Everglades National Park and Florida's leading reptile expert at U of Florida, Gainsville, emailed me and asked where I found the snake. I had noted the latitude and longitude with my Garmin GPS unit, so I could give them the exact location. It would be difficult to describe a location in the Everglades by any other method.

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Garmin and eTrex are trademarks of the Garmin Corporation.